Support for planar array antenna



y 1968 J. GUTTENBERG 3,383,081

SUPPORT FOR PLANAR ARRAY ANTENNA Filed July 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l EHHHI 11 I IIIIHIIH I N VENT OR.

J/nw GUTTEA/BLRB By Z/farzgps ay 14, 1968 J. GUTTENBERG 3,

SUPPORT FOR PLANAR ARRAY ANTENNA Filed July 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11V VEJV TOR JACK GUTTENBERG B) 7 f M GM 5. ag a;

United States Iatent O 3,383,081 SUPPORT FOR PLANAR ARRAYANTENNA Jack Guttenberg, Culver City, Calif., assiguor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July 25, 1966, Ser. No. 568,704 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-346) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A supporting structure for an antenna array plate having an annular tubular ring and a plurality of uniform strength beams attached to said annular tubular ring and having mounting pads on said beams for positioning an antenna array plate where-by said annular tubular ring can deflect without contacting said antenna plate.

The present invention relates to a supporting structure for a planar array antenna and more particularly to a stucture that will both support a planar array antenna and act as a unidirectional spring between the antenna and a limit ring on an antenna.

In the antenna prior art, planar array antennas are frequently attached to a supporting structure which is a casting and when the casting encountered a limlt ring, the stopping load or shock is transferred directly to the antenna. As various forms of waveguides are normally attached to the antenna, repeated shock to the antenna can cause serious and permanent damage to rotary joints, waveguide structure, and the like.

In the present invention, a support is provided which is comprised of a hollow ring which is supported by beams so that there is a uniform deflection rate about the ring. The hollow ring acts as a spring and absorbs the greatest part of the shock when the ring strikes a limit ring. The planar array antenna is spaced apart and attached to the hollow ring so that there can be deflection in the hollow ring without any corresponding deflection in the planar array antenna or any engagement between the planar array antenna and the supporting structure. The hollow ring is attached to conventional antenna structure that permits scanning in both elevational and aximuth planes.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved structure for supporting a planar array antenna.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved supporting structure which will reduce or eliminate shock to a planar array antenna.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side view showing a planar array antenna and supporting structure;

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view showing engagement of a supporting structure ring with a limit ring;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a supporting ring; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a planar array antenna with related scanning hardware. An array plate 11 is attached to a support assembly 12 which in turn is supported by rotary joints 13 and 14. By way of example, a pair of waveguides 15 and Y 16 are shown connected to array plate 11 and rotary joints 17 and 18 are provided to permit the array plate to be scanned in elevation. A C-ring 19 is provided and, with its associated hardware, provides azimuth scanning.

An annular bumper 21 of resilient material is attached "ice to housing 22 and provides a mechanical stop when the support assembly 12 strike-s annular bumper 21. FIG- URE 2 of the drawings shows the position of array plate 11 when annular ring 23 of support assembly 12 is against bumper 21.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, it can be seen that annular ring 23 is of tubular material and that a pair of elevation beams 24 and 25 are attached, as by welding, to annular ring 23. Each elevation beam is comprised of a top plate 26, a bottom plate 27, and a side plate 28. The top, bottom and side plates are welded together to form a 'U-shaped beam. A pair of azimuth beams 31 and 32 are attached, as by Welding, to beam 24 and likewise a pair of azimuth beams 33 and 34 are attached, as by welding, to beam 25. Each azimuth beam is comprised of a top plate 35, a bottom plate 36, and a side plate 37. The top, bottom, and side plates are Welded together to form a U-shaped beam. The beams, which are built-up channels in cross-section, are approximately uniform strength beams and have increased spring rate. Azimuth beams 31 and 32 each have one end welded to elevation beam 24, and beams 31 and 32 are angled so that their outer ends converge, and at annular ring 23, the ends of beams 31 and 32 are contiguous. Likewise, azimuth beams 33 and 34 each have one end welded to elevation beam 25, and beams 33 and 34 are angled so that their outer ends converge, and at annular ring 23, the ends of beams 33 and 34 are contiguous.

The ends of the beams engage the annular ring 23 such that annular ring 23 is supported at six equally spaced positions and as the beams are designed to have equal stiffness, the ring support points can be treated as planar. Thus, regardless of Where annular ring 23 strikes along the three hundred, sixty degrees of the annular bumper 21, the stopping force and the amount of deflection are independent of the position of the array plate, and are related only to the rotational deceleration of the moving mass of the antenna array and its supporting structure.

A plurality of mounting pads 38 are provided on elevation beams 24 and 25, there being shown two each on each beam, and the antenna array plate 11 is positioned on these pads. Pads 38 position array plate 11 to allow for structural deflection of support assembly 12 without the annular ring 23 coming into contact with array plate 11 and thus no shock force is transferred to the array plate 11. The kinetic energy of the moving antenna is absorbed by the bending deflection of the support assembly 12 and by the shear and compression deflection of the annular bumper 21. Array plate 11 i attached to the top plates 26 and rotary joints 13 and 14 are connected to the support assembly 12 through the bottom plates 27. Annular ring 23, which is supported by the beams, can absorb shock loads and is free to deflect and thus provides protection for array plate 11.

It can thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved supporting structure for a planar array antenna, The supporting structure provides, at minimum weight, a mechanical stop that prevents damaging shock to the antenna and its related hardware. Obviously many modifications and variations of the persent invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting structure for an antenna array plate comprising:

an annular tubular ring,

a plurality of uniform strength beams attached to said annular tubular ring, said plurality of uniform strength beams comprising first and second longitudinal beam-s extending substantially parallel to one 3 4 another, a first pair of traverse beams each having tubular ring can deflect without contacting said anone end attached to said first longitudinal beam and tenna plate. the other end of each first pair of traverse beams being contiguous to each other end and being at- R f r c s Cited tached to said annular tubular ring, and a second 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS pair of traverse beams each having one end attached to said second longitudinal beam and the g other end of each second pair of traverse beams 2,888,229 5/1959 Lester 248 346 being contiguous to each other end and being attached to Said annular tubule? ring and 10 ROY D FRAZIER Primary Examiner. means attached to a part of said beams for supporting a planar array antenna plate whereby said annular R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

